Are You Being Harassed by a Debt Collector? 4 Things They Legally Can’t Do or Say
Debt Collector
If you are going through financial problems, having a debt collector on your back is not going to make things any easier.
Debt collectors are often not hired entities by the institution you owe money to but rather people who have bought your debt at a discount.
This means they profit from you paying back your debt. Although the job and its duties are legal, many of the tactics they employ are not.
The following includes four things debt collectors legally can’t do or say to you.
Show Up at or Threaten to Call Your Workplace
Debt collectors know that most people are working towards paying off their debts.
In fact, because you are forced to include your employer’s name within loans, debt collectors often know where you are currently working.
They will then use this information to threaten you to pay. For example, they may threaten to call your workplace or even show up and speak with your boss.
According to the Fair Debt Collections Practices Act, this is not only not allowed but also illegal.
Threaten to Issue an Arrest Warrant for You
No, a debt collector cannot tell you that you will be arrested if you don’t pay, let alone file an arrest warrant against you.
Legal counsel will tell you that this tactic is often used against older people who may not understand the law or against those the debt collections agency knows will scare easily.
However, it must be noted that a warrant for your arrest could occur if they file a lawsuit against you and you fail to show up to court.
Demand Information From You
In some cases, a debt collector may demand information from you to tie you to past debt or debt that you don’t even owe.
The information you provide is then used to tie you to the debt further and make it look legitimate.
However, if the debt were really yours, debt collectors would not only already have your information, but they would have had to send you a letter with all of the information regarding your debt.
Call Whenever They Want
Another big part of the Fair Debt Collections Practices Act says that debt collectors are only allowed to contact you during reasonable times of the day.
This means that they cannot call you before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m. However, they may claim that they can call you whenever they want until you pay back what you owe.
They are not allowed to say this, and it is even illegal for them to do so.
Debt is stressful enough without being harassed by those trying to collect on that debt.
However, if you have debt collectors harassing you or using illegal tactics to try to collect, you have options.
Talk to a lawyer like those at Heidarpour Law Firm. A lawyer can help you figure out if the tactics your debt collectors are using are illegal.
They can help put a stop to the calls. This way, you’ll be able to continue your daily life without stressful interruptions.
You may even be able to get compensation for those illegal calls.
Debt collectors have a huge monetary incentive to bother you throughout the day until you pay back your debt.
However, as you can see from the information above, many of their tactics are illegal.
That is why it is always important to demand written confirmation and double-check with the Fair Debt Collections Practices Act before providing them with any form of information.
Category: Debt
